One Christmas Later

"Two for the maze, and two hot chocolates -"

"With all the trimmings."

Marinette interrupted Adrien's order much to the amusement of the lady at the kiosk. Adrien rolled his eyes and turned back to 'Mrs Claus' at the hot chocolate stand.

"With all the trimmings, please."

"Good choice," Mrs Claus exclaimed, turning around to start on their drinks. One year later and they were back. As promised Adrien had brought Marinette back to the Alps and the tiny town of 'Christmas joy' and her smile was just as jubilant as the first time they'd come here. He couldn't help but wonder if this would become a family tradition. Each year they'd come back, and who knows maybe they'd multiple in numbers over the next few years too.

He felt in his pocket, making sure he could feel the cube still safely tucked away. He'd managed to keep his cool quite well so far, and if this went to plan he could explode in relief in approximately five minutes' time. He just needed his plan to work perfectly, it just had to.

"Do I know you two?" Mrs Claus asked.

"We were here last year," Marinette grinned, taking her drink into her hands. Adrien smiled at his girlfriend, what a year it had been.

A couple of months after Chloé and Kagami's wedding the next big event took place. Alya had announced that herself and Nino would be expecting their first child in July. How they had kept it quiet was beyond everyone, it seemed Alya was a rather good actress when needing to be. Faking her drinking at a number of events, and even passing her morning sickness off as an allergic reaction to pills which had been prescribed by the doctors. Apparently her iron levels were low and nobody thought to link that to pregnancy.

A couple of weeks before Alya's due date, she'd ordered Adrien to come and take her out to lunch. Now, everyone knew you don't ignore an order from Ms. Cesaire, so Adrien went and waited to be quizzed by his girlfriend's best friend, and his fellow teammate. She didn't let him down. Asking him everything about his intentions towards her best friend and what he wanted from life. Adrien felt like he was about to be arrested for not being the perfect boyfriend for Marinette, even though everyone knew that wasn't true.

Turns out, Alya wanted to make sure Adrien was there for the long run so he could be their baby's Godfather, along with their Godmother, Marinette. To say he was thrilled would be an understatement, since the big reveal on Christmas Eve the previous year Nino and Alya had become close friends of his, and he wanted to be in their lives as much as possible. He adored them, and was thankful for Marinette bringing them into his life.

So when baby Dominic Lahiffe had been born on sixteenth July, Adrien and Marinette had been there alongside the grandparents to welcome the little man into the world, and holding such a small bundle in his arms only made him want a family of his own more. One with Marinette.

Baby Lahiffe was soon followed by the next pregnancy announcement, and this one shocked everyone. Not only was it a baby being announced it was also the relocation of two of their friendship group. Luka and Zoè had grown closer and closer since they reunited for Chloé's wedding and had decided to move closer to Zoè's extended family in New York. With twins on their way Zoè wanted family support and although her mother was a lost cause, her father had remarried and his new wife was adored. She was everything Zoè had ever wanted in a mother.

The leaving party that October had been a fun but emotional affair. Tears were spilled and cracks in friendships were healed. Adrien would even go as far as saying Luka had become a close personal friend of his, helping him to heal after everything had happened with his mother and father. The party only turned more emotional when Juleka, Rose and Anarka announced they were setting sail for the far West too. Okay, so it wasn't that far, and Adrien and Marinette had already made plans to visit the following January, but a friendship group which had been through so much together slowly disembandoning was unsettling. A new norm needed to be created, and Marinette needed to find new teammates ... just in case.

There hadn't been much news on Adrien's mother and father. Both were stable, but that was about it. The guardians at the temple believed they were getting closer to a cure, but nothing had been proven yet. Adrien began to make plans just in case they never returned, and to be honest, he was setting himself up for the worst. Some nights he'd stay awake planning, and sometimes even crying. If Marinette was round she'd be there by his side, if not she was only a phone call away. Flying in as Ladybug and saving the day the best she could. She was his rock, and along with Tom and Sabine he believed he could get through this. That they'd make sure he got through it.

Nathalie, on the other hand, had made a remarkable recovery and had come home to run the Gabriel brand. Adrien couldn't believe how amazing she was doing. Years and years of being his fathers personal assistant seemed to have paid off, and business was thriving, especially when they collaborated with MDC.

Marinette's brand had taken off big time, and she'd gone from a small boutique business to a corporate employer of over two thousand employees. To say she was shocked was an understatement. But with her business attitude, and a little bit of Ladybug luck sprinkled in, she was flourishing. She was an amazing employer, and very well respected by the fashion world in general. She was on her second edition Hero designs, and her first edition Akuma ones, much to Mrs Lavinge's delight the range included both the Mayura feather edged shawl and the PVC 'Wishmaker' catsuit.

Adrien had never been more comfortable in his life, his friends were happy, his girlfriend was happy and most importantly, he was happy. Which brings them to today ...

"Want to play hide and seek?" Adrien smirked at Marinette as he made his way into the tree maze. She stopped and looked at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You're being serious aren't you?"

"I am, please, just once."

Marinette rolled her Ladybug eyes and brought her hot chocolate to her lips, a lame attempt at covering her smile.

"Fine, you go ahead, I'll count to ten."

Adrien bounced forward and kissed Marinette on the lips. "Do you know how much I love you?"

She laughed as she pushed him away by his shoulder. "Go, before I change my mind."

Turning quickly, Adrien smirked to himself and started walking into the maze.

Plan part one - complete.

Marinette stood feeling like an idiot pretending to count.

"I can't believe you're actually counting," Tikki whispered out of her bag, only for Marinette to shrug.

"It makes him happy," the designer said, walking into the maze. "He's going to go to the middle."

"How do you know?"

"He's been acting shiftly all day, he's planning something." Marinette wasn't sure what was going on with Adrien, but she knew what she hoped. Alya had been dropping hints about 'putting a ring on it' and Marinette had got herself into a tizz.

That was two months ago.

Since then, on any occasion, she'd been a nervous wreck thinking he was about to propose only to be bitterly disappointed when it didn't happen. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but with her friends having babies and moving on with their lives, she wanted to as well. He hadn't hinted anything, and neither had Plagg or Tikki, but that didn't stop her wishing and wanting.

Marinette wound her way through the tree lined paths making her way to the middle. It would be so romantic if he did it here, if it was one of their meaningful places, but she'd also thought that about the arcade and the fashion expo ... still, her ring finger laid bare.

Finally, reaching the opening she noticed Adrien hiding very poorly behind the most beautifully decorated Christmas tree she had ever set her eyes on. It marked the middle of the maze and the surrounding area was surprisingly empty.

"Come out, come out wherever you are?" Marinette said as she walked forward. She heard Adrien laugh before he walked around the tree holding his hands up.

"Look at that, you found me." He smiled brightly and her heart melted. She'd never tire of that smile.

"I'm just too good, Chaton."

"That you are M'Lady," he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to hers in a heated kiss.

When he pulled away she was dizzy and drunk on love. He was everything to her. The dizziness only increased as she watched him get down on one knee.

Oh my God! she thought, this is it!

She stood stock still, tears brimming in her eyes as he extracted a small black cube from his pocket. Her hands went to her mouth and her breath held as she waited for him to speak.

"Marinette, I've loved you for an insane amount of time, and although you drive me crazy and break a lot of my things I still can't bear to live so far apart. I thought long and hard how to do this, and what's more special than a place which holds a section of our hearts. So Marinette Dupain-Cheng, please will you -"

She screamed 'yes' as he opened the box, only to feel her heart deflate like a popped balloon. There was no ring in the box, just a key.

"Move in with me?" He finally finished his question, the grin on his face so happy and hopeful she tried her hardest to pull herself together.

She was a fool, she shouldn't have expected an engagement. They'd been dating for less than a year, and regardless of the length of the partnership they had, maybe it still wasn't time yet, or he was still unsure about them?

She fixed a smile on her face, reaching down to cup his cheeks and place a kiss on his lips.

"Of course, I'll move in with you." Her voice was wobbly, but she needed to hold it together. He was beaming with excitement and this was a huge step in the right direction, even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted he'd put a lot of thought into this just as he usually did about everything he gifted her with.

"Come on," he said, standing up and making his way to the tree, "I promised your folks a picture."

Adrien led Marinette to the tree and held his camera up. "Say cheese." Adrien moved slightly more in towards Marinette and knocked a bauble off the tree.

"You're catching my clumsiness from me," she said bending down to pick up the ornament, "are you sure you want to li-"

Marinette froze as she looked at the green and red ornament. It looked like the one he'd brought her last year, the one she couldn't find to put on his tree, but something was different about it. Standing up with the ornament in her hand, she'd failed to see Adrien had switched the phone mode to video and remained with it pointed directly at her face.

It looked as though a hinge had been placed within the decoration, and a split ran around the middle. She traced the small overlap with her finger and looked at the front.

A + M engrossed in a heart.

She looked up at Adrien and saw tears in his eyes and a small smile on his lips, before looking back down at the ornament. Taking a deep breath she prised the two sides open to see a folded piece of paper inside. With her hands shaking she pulled it out, closed the ornament and placed it back on the tree for safe keeping.

M'Lady, My Love.

Many people over the years have tried to describe the meaning of love. They've done it in actions, in song, in poetry, each presenting a little of themselves to their love, to the one person who holds their heart.

I have used my actions over the years and I know you don't like them. I can't blame you really, you can't love me the way I want you too if I don't exist.

Last time I sang to you, you told me you were going to call Animal Control, so I don't think serenading you at this moment in time would be my greatest idea.

I have written you a poem though ...

Your hair is black as night, your pretty bluebell eyes, I wonder who you are underneath that strong disguise. Every day we see each other and I hope that you'll be mine, together our love could be so true, please, will you be my Valentine?

I don't know about you but I think that sounds like a fourteen year old, newly pubescent school boy.

So here I am, presenting you with something that brought us together.

Our bauble.

I know you love Christmas and that's why I waited until now. I know you loved this town, that's why I chose here, and I know you'll look amazing tomorrow night at the Winter Solstice Ball. Which is why this is happening now and not on Christmas Day.

Marinette, Ladybug, Dupain-Cheng, please will you be my date tomorrow night and forever more as the other half of my heart, as my wife?

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice was filled with emotion as he knelt down on one knee, phone being held by their tearful kwami's. "I'm so glad you said yes to living with me, it makes this a lot easier."

Marinette let out a sobbed laugh as she held the piece of paper to her heart.

"Will you marry me?"

The next evening, at the Winter Solstice Ball, famous fashion designer MDC introduced her fiancé to the world. Always together. Always in each other's heart.

The End